May 17, 2012— Rebecca Howard and Selena O’Hanlon led the Canadian team at the 2012 CCI /CIC Jersey Fresh Three Day Event, held May 10–13, in Allentown, New Jersey, USA by placing first and third in their respective divisions. The competition also featured top ten performances by Hawley Bennett-Awad, Michele Mueller, Jessica Phoenix and Shandiss Wewiora.

Fresh off their second place finish at the CIC 3* The Fork, Norwood NC, at the beginning of April, Howard of Salmon Arm, BC, and her 2010 World Equestrian Games partner Riddle Master, Blithe Hill Farm’s 11-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding, claimed victory in the advanced CIC 3* division with a final score of 52.8. Sitting in fourth place following dressage with 48.4, the pair added only 0.4 cross country time and four jumping penalties for the victory.

“Riddle Master keeps getting better and more confident in the dressage and it is fun to have that show on the score board,” said Howard. “He was a machine once again on the cross country. We are very proud him and really excited for his owners/breeders Jean Watson and Caroline Bazley of Blithe Hill Farm.”

Hawley Bennett-Awad of Langley, BC rode her 2010 World Equestrian Games mount Gin N Juice, a 12-year-old American Thoroughbred mare owned by the rider and Linda Paine, to a fifth place finish, adding only four jumping penalties to their dressage score of 57.0 to finish with 61.00.

Riding her own Exponential, the 14-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding, Phoenix of Cannington, ON added 2.4 cross country time and four jumping penalties to their dressage score of 57.2 to finish with 63.6 for sixth place overall in the CIC 3* division.

The top placed Canadian combination in the CCI 3 * was Selena O’Hanlon of Kingston, ON, riding her 2010 World Games partner Colombo, the 18-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding, owned by Elaine and Michael Davies. In fourth place after dressage, with a score of 45.8, the long-time partners added only two jumping time penalties to finish in third with a score of 47.8.

“Our dressage was great,” said O’Hanlon who has been working with Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Gina Smith when she has been at home between competitions. “We have been turning up the volume for each test we have done recently. I’m sorry that I lost a second place finish by adding two jumping time penalties, but he was the only horse to not have any jumping faults on both cross country and show jumping, so I’m very pleased.”

Bennett-Awad and her second mount, Five O’clock Somewhere, the 11-year-old American Thoroughbred gelding which is the full brother to Gin N Juice owned by the rider, Susan G Church and Kimberly Barron, finished in seventh with a score of 60. In eighth place was Shandiss Wewiora of Oakville, ON and Jorge Bernhard’s 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Rockfield Grant Juan, with a score of 62.2. Rounding out the top 10 was Michele Mueller of Port Perry, ON, riding Julie Anna Pring’s Amistad who finished on a score of 81.8

Phillip Dutton of the United States won the CCI 3* division riding Mystery Whisper.

Phoenix also placed fifth in the CIC 2* division riding Kirk Hoppner’s Erodium, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood cross gelding. Sixth after dressage with a score of 52.4, the duo added 13.6 cross country time penalties to their total to finish with 66.0.

Karen O’Connor of the United States won the CIC 2* division aboard Mandiba.